March 2008
The Greater Raleigh Court Civic League C e l e b r at i n g
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Women’s 5K Moves to Raleigh Court on its 25th Anniverary On Saturday, April 12, Raleigh Court streets will be filled with hundreds of women running in the annual Women's 5K. This event was originally organized to protest that, until 1984, the only Olympic marathon was for men only. Now, happily, there are both a women's marathon at the Olympics and a Women's 5K run in Roanoke. The start and finish lines will be at the Raleigh Court Presbyterian Church on Grandin Road. This year's event benefits the Presbyterian Community Center. The Star City Striders, a co-ed running club, sponsors the race. There will be awards for each age class and an overall award. Check the Striders' web site to see the route the race will take through Raleigh Court. If you're not running, you'll want to bring your chairs to the race route and cheer the runners as they pass. "We're expecting well over 200 entries this year, and we're really happy to be running in Raleigh Court," said race director, Striders' President and Raleigh Court resident Amy Rockhill. —continued on page 4
Inside This Issue President’s message...................................................... 3 Sav-Elec.................................................................... 4 Climate Change........................................................ 5 Raleigh Court renos................................................... 6 Raleigh Court faces.................................................... 7 7-Eleven.................................................................... 8 Calendar................................................................. 10 Things you need to know.......................................... 10
Civic League Sponsors Candidates’ Forum Our March membership meeting will be a forum for Roanoke City mayoral and City Council candidates. John Carlin, Channel 10 news anchor, will moderate the debate. All candidates, including independents, have been invited. We’ll be taking questions from the audience. Because the forum is open to everyone from around the city, we’ve moved it from our regular meeting venue at Christ Lutheran Church to the Patrick Henry High School Auditorium on Tuesday, March 18. It will begin at 7:00 pm.
Greater Raleigh Court Civic League Officers OFFICERS President Chad Van Hyning 798-5983 cvanhyning@hsmm.com Vice-President Susan Koch 345-9977 s.koch@verizon.net Recording Secretary Keith Dabbs 224-3082 kdabbs@carilion.com Corresponding Secretary Cassandra Van Hyning 798-1996 cvanhyning@spectrumpc.com Treasurer Bruce Knappe 343-1987 bruce@theknappes.us Directors at Large Chad Braby 343-3975 cbraby@ullimanschutte.com Karyn McAden 342-8930 blackcat29@cox.net
Melissa Morgan 312-3587 melissamorganhomes@msn.com Lori Livingston 981-1145 lomaliv@juno.com
Advertising: Susan Koch Newsletter: Jim Huizenga 345-9977 j.huizenga@verizon.net
Carl Cress 982-2004 cdcress3@cox.net
Special Projects: Tony Stavola 345-0010 astavola@carilion.com
Immediate Past President Kurt Navratil 343-7373 kdavidn@cox.net
Building Management: Chris Chittum 345-2377 Chris.Chittum@roanokeva.gov
COMMITTEE CHAIRS Membership Committee: Karyn McAden Adopt-a-Highway Committee: Christopher McWhite 345-5194 christopherjmcwhite@yahoo.com Neighborhood Affairs Committee: Frank Eastburn 342-8063 haikune@msn.com Program Committee: Melissa Morgan & Lori Livingston
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Grandin Road Merchants Liaison: Kurt Navratil Webmaster: Michael Meise 343-0805 mmeise@roanokecountyva.gov Greenways: Mike Urbanski 344-1388 mike_urbanski@cox.net The Court Reporter is published by the Greater Raleigh Court Civic League fives times a year on or about the first week of September, November, January, March, and May.
From the President
National Crisis Hits Home? By Chad Van Hyning
I saw an interesting story on the CBS television program “Sixty Minutes” in January. The title of the story was “House of Cards” and it discussed the sub-prime mortgage crisis. The story highlights the housing situation in Stockton, California, a community of 280,000 people. Located 80 miles east of San Francisco and 80 miles north of San Jose, Stockton became a commuter city in 2003 when it offered an economical housing alternative to its major metropolitan neighbors. At $230,000, a four-bedroom house was considered a real bargain. The majority of the mortgages issued in Stockton were sub-prime loans, meaning the borrowers had less than perfect credit or had insufficient income to qualify for a standard loan. After an initial period of artificially low payments, the interest rates on these loans jumped to 10 or 11 percent. Meanwhile, by the summer of 2005 speculative buyers had pushed the price of those houses to more than $400,000. And as we now know, the housing market subsequently softened and then tumbled. This has left homeowners with high mortgage payments while owing more for their houses than they were worth. According to Zillow.com, the estimated market value of the average home in Stockton is down 21.4%, or $74,500, in the past 12 months. Compare this to the US average home value decrease of $5,454 during that period. No wonder Sixty Minutes calls Stockton, California “ground zero for the current financial crisis and a microcosm of everything that went wrong.” While this crisis has undoubtedly impacted Raleigh Court to some degree, it would appear that we have been spared the ravaging affects experienced in Stockton. According to data provided by GRCCL Board Member and Realtor Melissa Morgan, the average single family home sale price in southwest Roanoke City has consistently increased since 2002. While the average value is still lower than the US average, we have not found ourselves in the position where we owe more than we own. It would appear, as Melissa put it, that our real estate market is “healthy.” So what will the future bring for Stockton, California? Nelson Harris in his latest book, “Greater Raleigh Court, A History of Wasena, Virginia Heights, Norwich & Raleigh Court,” cites an interesting November 1924 passage from the Roanoke Times: A large number of homes are being built in Raleigh Court and many more are planned for early spring. Lots in our fine new section east of Grandin Road and north of the Methodist church are rapidly being selected since the financial condition of the country has become more settled. It has inspired our progressive people to begin building and planning new homes more vigorous than they did a year ago before the slump. A quick return to prosperous business has taught Roanoke people to realize that slight depressions in business cannot stop the growth and development of our beautiful city. Owning houses and lots in Roanoke City is different from owning them in a sleepy and unprogressive town. Let’s hope for Stockton’s sake that they are as progressive and fortunate as us Raleigh Courters. page 3
Women’s 5K—continued from page 1
The traditional pasta dinner will be served to runners the For more information, go to the Striders' web site at night before the race at the Raleigh Court Presbyterian www.starcitystriders.com, or contact Amy Rockhill at Church, and the starting time on Saturday is 9:00 am. 982-8390 or arockhill@cox.net.
The previous women’s 5K was run along the Roanoke River in October 2006.
All age groups are encouraged to participate.
In Business to Save Energy Frank Early is well named. When he began his business 40 years ago, he was ahead of his time and ahead of most of his Roanoke neighbors. Early founded Sav-Elec, Inc. after being inspired by an article in a West Coast publication about replacing incandescent lighting with energy efficient fluorescent bulbs. Even before the oil embargo alerted most of us to energy conservation, Early realized how wasteful most lighting was. Today many more of us are replacing our lights to lower energy consumption and electric bills. Since its founding in 1967, Sav-Elec has grown and now does business nationally. Most of its business is from apartment complexes and commercial developments, but homeowners also turn to the company for help. Early participated at the recent Roanoke Energy Fair, and talked with many homeowners. He offers consulting help on how to reduce energy consumption, and can also supply energy efficient fixtures. Advances in technology have made many more products available. Of growing concern to Early is lighting pollution. As he points out, wasted light harms everyone, since it uses up energy. It’s more efficient to control light and focus it only where it’s needed. Early is a longtime resident of Raleigh Court and supporter of the Civic League. Sav-Elec, a member of the recently-formed Roanoke Valley Cool Cities Coalition, is now a family business which Frank shares with his son. For more information and help on reducing energy bills with more efficient lighting, you can call Sav-Elec at 344-4246.
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Global Climate Change, Local Solutions By Chad Braby “So-called 'global warming' is just a secret plot by wacko tree huggers to make America energy independent, clean our air and water, improve the fuel efficiency of our vehicles, kick-start 21st-century industries, and make our cities safer and more livable. Don't let them get away with it!” Chip Giller, Founder of Grist.org. The January, 2008 meeting of the GRCCL hosted Mark McClain and Diana Christopolous of the Roanoke Valley Cool Cities Coalition. Their presentation focused on the role and actions of various municipalities around the country in their efforts to reduce carbon emissions, reduce energy consumption and clean-and-green their cities. The fascinating part of the presentation lay not only in the fact that cities were taking on the responsibilities of combating the effects of human induced climate change themselves, but in the broad spectrum of political, geographic, and social landscapes in which their action takes place. If one only obtained their news from CNN, Fox News or the “Nation” section of their local paper, one might be led to believe that the issues of climate change and energy efficiency and independence were still politically partisan issues, as they have been framed at the federal government level over the past decade. A closer look reveals otherwise. Cities as diverse as Chicago, Salt Lake City, Anchorage, Alaska, and Bozeman, Montana have taken the reins of leadership, utilizing the support of various national and global organizations.
The leaders of these cities represent both sides of the political “divide,” Republicans and Democrats, and are to be commended for their non-partisan leadership. Locally, the City of Roanoke is moving forward with its own initiatives. With help from Virginia Tech and the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), the City recently completed its carbon footprint assessment for both the municipal government and the community at large. And during the January 22 City Council meeting, City Manager Darlene Burcham reported that the municipal government has already reduced carbon emissions by 1½% from 2006 levels, and further reductions are being targeted. These results should be applauded, and further action should be encouraged in the form of goal-oriented initiatives. Perhaps the bar should be set at the goal of carbon reduction levels of 2% per year over the next 40 years. Regardless of the goal, City leaders should hear from residents and businesses that their efforts are supported, and the upcoming City Council and Mayoral elections can lend citizens a megaphone for their voices and an instrument of change or support with their votes. Citizens can also use the GRCCL-sponsored Council candidates' forum to find out where candidates stand on important issues like climate change and energy independence. In the vacuum of leadership at the national level on these issues, it’s important that local municipalities be encouraged to maintain their dedication and momentum.
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Raleigh Court renos
Focusing on What’s Important By Jim Huizenga When Jim and Parke Loesel decided to move from Roanoke County's Penn Forest to Roanoke, they were clear about some of the features they wanted. A strong sense of neighborhood, sidewalks, a place to do gardening, an older house that they could lavish some TLC on. They found all this and a few things they didn't bargain for in their house on Guilford near Shrine Hill Park. The house was built in 1910; it was probably a farm house for what was largely undeveloped land at that time. The basic four-square was built without indoor plumbing; previous owners added a bathroom and what is now the kitchen at the rear. As is true of so many houses in this area, this one was divided into apartments for part of its life. Parke grew up in Lynchburg and still goes there frequently to see her mother who lives near Randolph College. She's a former teacher in the Lexington school system. Jim, a native of Michigan, taught at Washington & Lee University. He is a landscape designer who has worked extensively with Roanoke College and other clients. Jim's also responsible for the landscape plan of the Dan Wright Trailhead, and both Parke and Jim have volunteered many hours working on the project. Their two grown sons live in the Roanoke area. The Loesels bought their house in 1985 and are about halfway through their master plan for upgrading it and the landscaping. They are firm believers in setting priorities, developing a detailed plan, and keeping good records (both written and photographic) of progress. Setting priorities means deciding what's important. The Loesels' priorities include: • • • •
Renovating the house, room by room. Some rooms needed only new paint; others, like the upstairs bathroom, got complete makeovers. The bath has new lavatories and toilet, but the old claw foot tub was refurbished and reinstalled. Improving the landscaping. By making some appropriate changes to the grading around the house, the Loesels found that water no longer pours into their basement during heavy rainstorms, and the sump pump hardly ever runs now. Establishing a vegetable garden. Jim is an avid gardener, something he just couldn't do in Penn Forest because the lot at their former home was completely shaded by large trees. During the summer growing season, Parke has to remind Jim that he shouldn't spend all his time in the garden when there's plastering or painting or tile work to do inside. Conserving energy. The Loesels keep track of their usage of gas, electricity, and water and work continuously to reduce their —continued on page 7
Jim and Parke Loesel
Updated bathroom with clawfoot tub.
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Raleigh Court renos—continued from page 6
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consumption. Amazingly, after repairing the 20-year-old Vermont Castings wood stove and putting it to regular use, the Loesels have cut their gas bill to a mere one-fourth of what it was two years ago. Other conservation measures include installing reflector panels behind radiators and low-E film on windows. To reduce water consumption, they replaced leaky faucets and old toilets, and use soaker hoses in the garden. And they've worked hard to make the house envelope tighter. "Caulking is even more important than insulation in many areas," notes Jim. Investing in the neighborhood. Jim and Parke love their neighborhood and the people who live nearby. Often long-time residents help them understand the history of their house. Jim notes that fresh garden vegetables are a great social lubricant. "Who can refuse an offer of tomatoes or okra that are grown right next door?" he asks with a ready smile.
What was the hardest part? Jim says that because they tend to break down big jobs into small, manageable pieces, it hasn't been difficult. He admits, however, that removing the asbestos from the basement was pretty daunting. Jim did the removal himself. He took the trouble to learn the requirements, wore appropriate protective clothing, double-bagged and sealed the material to be disposed of, including all the clothes he wore during the job. Among the projects still on the list are the kitchen and laundry room remodel and building a new hip roof for the detached garage. Except for some electrical and plumbing work, Jim and Parke and their sons have done all the work on their house. This is truly an investment in our neighborhood that we can all be grateful for.
Raleigh Court faces
A Testament to Strength and Determination By Kelly Zappia
Maybe you've seen her walking in the Grandin Village or through our neighborhood. In the rain and snow, during the summer humidity and the bitter cold of winter, on sick days and great days, Bazya Shapiro is a testament to determination. I asked her the other day if she was walking less this year than last, and she told me that yes she was walking less this year; she was younger last year. She still manages to have two long daily walks through our neighborhood. On days that she doesn’t feel well she says her daily walks are most important. I sat down to talk with Bazya about her past and was touched by her story. She was born in Kiev, Ukraine in the 1930s. At age 9, Bazya, her mother and seven year old brother were forced to flee from Kiev. Her father was fighting in WWII. As a Jewish woman, she has sharp memories of seeing the Nazis come into Kiev and of that long journey to Uzbekistan. They went by horse and wagon with an uncle and his family. They were hungry and tired and almost all of the children were sick. They arrived in Uzbekistan to the news that her father had been killed. One of her young cousins died shortly after their arrival. Bazya’s mother went to work in the cotton fields, and later worked in a bomb factory. By 1949 it was safe for the family to return to Kiev, and Bazya, at age 17, went to work in a candy factory. At nights she attended school to finish high school. She married at age 20 and had a son and a daughter. In the following years Bazya worked in a shoe factory in Kiev. Her children grew older, and she and her husband divorced. In 1989 her son and daughter- in- law and their four year old came to the United States looking for a better life. After many letters back and forth, Bazya, her daughter and sonin-law and their two children came to the United States as well in 1992. Bazya arrived without any English and set out to learn with a local tutor. She worked hard for four years and has funny stories about dreading the sound of the telephone. As anyone
Bazya Shapiro
who has ever leaned another language can tell you, talking on the phone is one of the most difficult things to master; you lose all non verbal cues and have to concentrate completely on the conversation. She is more confident now; she goes to the doctor’s office alone and her English is strong. Bazya’s life in the US has not always been easy. Her daughter passed away a few years ago from cancer, and she still grieves for her. Bazya tries to get to the cemetery every month on the anniversary of her death. She struggles with health problems, but does take great joy in the many accomplishments of her grandchildren. They are graduates of UVA, Roanoke College and Radford. She beams when she talks about them and her greatgrandchildren as well. She doesn’t have much, she says, but she is surrounded by her family here and has everything that she needs. She's a testament to strength and determination, and we're glad she's found a home in our neighborhood.
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Oh, Thank Heaven for 7-Eleven! By Carl Cress
Our sole surviving national chain convenience store in the Raleigh Court has just had a much awaited makeover. 7-Eleven on Grandin Road was remodeled during the summer in preparation for its new owner. On July 20, Susan Lipes, the long-term manager and a Raleigh Court resident, became the proud owner of the first 7Eleven franchise in the Roanoke Valley. Raised in Cave Spring, Susan finished her high school education at Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia. She attended Clinch Valley College and returned to Roanoke in 1989 after living briefly in Kentucky. Susan began her career at the Brambleton Road 7-Eleven and was promoted to manager after five months. She became the manager of the Grandin Road store in 1991 and remained there until 1996, when she was asked to move from store to store as a troubleshooter. She managed practically every store in the valley over the next nine years and at one time ran stores in Blacksburg and Roanoke simultaneously. Susan returned permanently to the Grandin Village 7-Eleven in 2005. “The people are what keep me here,” said Susan. “It feels good to make someone’s day better. Sometimes they lift me up and make my day better!” Last winter, Southland Corporation began franchising its 7-Eleven stores. For Susan and her husband Rob, this was the chance of a lifetime. Qualifying for the opportunity to buy a store was very time consuming and arduous. Susan had first choice on any of the stores in the Valley. It was not a hard decision to choose the Grandin Village store to become her store. As a franchisee, Susan has the choice of many of the products offered, which includes a new and more extensive wine and beer selection. She also employs five full-time and seven part-time staff. “We strive to take care of our customers that have supported us all of these years. ‘The happiest place to be!’ is our motto.” No doubt.
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Things you need to know… Get Involved in the Neighborhood
Stay Connected
Several longtime board members will be retiring in May, and we’re looking for replacements. The board meets on the Thursday evening the week before each of the five annual membership meetings. There is also one planning meeting during the summer. Several committees also have openings.
For timely news about Civic League events, neighborhood happenings and issues, join our email list. Send a message to Membership Chairman Karyn McAden at blackcat29@cox. net. Please include your name and street address. You can be assured that we never share our membership list, so your privacy is protected.
The Greater Raleigh Court Civic League is an all volunteer organization. If you’re interested in joining the board or a committee, please contact President Chad Van Hyning at cvanhyning@hsmm.com or 798-5983 (home).
Your Membership Expiration Date
Earth Day: The Greening of the Village By Karen Adams, Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op It'll be green in Grandin Village on Saturday, April 19, when we celebrate Earth Day, "Village Green," from one end of the neighborhood to the other. Many events are still taking shape, but as of mid-February, this is what is confirmed:
The back page of your newsletter looks a little different than it used to. Postal regulations required reformatting to conform to new USPS address scanning equipment. In the process, the expiration date, which might have interfered with the automated address reading, was lost for a few issues. The date has returned with our January 2008 issue, and can be found floating between your address and the postage stamp corner. Take a look and make sure your dues are current.
All day at Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op there will be an organic seedling sale from Full Circle Farms of Floyd, and local vendors will be at the store (11 am to 4 pm) to provide samples and information. Also, you won't want to miss the free film, "Climate of Change," presented by Roanoke Valley Cool Cities Coalition at 11 am in the Community Room, with discussion to follow. At 3 pm, nutritionist Jeanie Redick will present a free talk, "Know Your Food," also in the co-op's community room. And register to win a mountain bike in the co-op raffle, the proceeds from which will benefit Sharebike, a community bicycle program. At Grandin Gardens down the street, you'll see presentations on gardening, hydroponics, beekeeping, home brewing, voluntary simplicity, bikes, birdhouses, and more! Throughout the day, the Blue Ridge Environmental Network will host a variety of exhibitors at Raleigh Court United Methodist Church. And there'll be free, live music at the end! For updates, please check www.roanokenaturalfoods.coop (or call 343-5652) and www.grandingardens.com (or call 581-0530).
Save the Date for the Block Party Our annual block party will be held in Grandin Village on Sunday, May 18 from 2-5 pm. To volunteer or contribute to the effort, please contact one of this year’s co-chairs: Kelly Zappia at kelzap@cox.net or Susan Stump at the Grandin Road branch of Valley Bank.
Calendar City Council candidates' forum......... Tuesday, March 18 Women's 5K race.................................Saturday, April 12 Earth Day............................................Saturday, April 19 Grandin Village Block Party................... Sunday, May 18 page 10
Pizza • Calzones • Salad Bar Kid’s Menu • Pasta Specials Appetizers • desserts Three 14” Cheese or Pepperoni Only $13.99 plus tax
981-1340
1316 Grandin Road • Roanoke, VA 24015 • www.gracesplacepizzeria.com
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New members are welcome to join the Civic League at any time. Your mailing label shows Address when it’s time to renew your membership. You may pay your dues at the next membership City meeting. Multiyear or life memberships are welcome! The Civic League is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. Donations may be claimed as charitable deductions for tax purposes. Home Phone Please mail your membership dues ($10 family, $15 business, or $100 life membership) or Amount Enclosed gifts to: GRCCL, P.O. Box 3092, Roanoke, VA 24015 Or go to www.grccl.org and click on “JOIN US” to fill out a membership application online. I’d like to help out with:
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PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID ROANOKE, VA PERMIT NO. 78
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